Date:17/07/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/07/17/stories/2005071713410800.htm

National

Demand to put off Chennai meet of BJP turned down

Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI: Two former presidents of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Bangaru Laxman and Jana Krishnamurthy, are said to have demanded that the "confusion" caused by party president L.K. Advani's statements be "cleared." Mr. Krishnamurthy confirmed that he had written to Mr. Advani, but said he could not disclose the contents, as "it was an internal party matter."

More letters likely

BJP sources said parliamentary secretary Ashwini Kumar had also written to Mr. Advani. They did not rule out more such "letters" and public demands by partymen for Mr. Advani's resignation.

During the day some senior leaders advised Mr. Advani to put off the three-day Chennai national executive of the BJP, scheduled to begin on July 21, but the suggestion was turned down. Some fireworks are expected in Chennai, as several senior leaders have already given notice of their intention to raise the same issues on which the RSS leadership expressed unhappiness.

``BJP without

the Sangh is zero''

Another senior leader, Uma Bharti, said on a television show that "the BJP without the Sangh is zero."

It was the letter from former Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana that set the tone for the happenings in the day. He charged Mr. Advani with "sacrificing ideology" and said this was "heresy" to lakhs of BJP workers and RSS `swayamsevaks.'

"His guilt": extolling Jinnah, who was responsible for Partition and the riots that marked it. Mr. Khurana also charged that Mr. Advani had surrounded himself with a "coterie of rootless people" and had "shredded" the Sangh ideology "ruthlessly."

Across the board, all BJP leaders are admitting in private that the crisis caused by Mr. Advani's refusal to resign and the confrontation with the RSS have done incalculable harm to the party. At the moment no one is willing to publicly cross swords with the Sangh to side with Mr. Advani.

The Advani camp, however, says that only a few disgruntled partymen have challenged the party chief.